Chapter 13

The whole world seemed to stop spinning for a moment as Leo's words echoed in my ears. He couldn't see, he said that right? I didn't miss hear, my mind wasn't playing tricks on me? Fear pierced my heart like a needle as I gulped, trying to give some relief to my dry throat.

"W-what?" My voice croaked, horsed as I spoke.

"I can't see!" Leo repeated, panic cutting through his voice like a knife. He began clawing at his eyes, as if trying to peel something off. Hoping to rip away the bandages, praying that I was just playing some cruel joke. Sadly, this was no joke. I did take off all the bandages, there was nothing covering his eyes.

"Leo! Calm down!" I begged, gripping his wrist, attempting to pull them away from his eyes, I didn't want him to hurt himself again, "We can fix this."

"How?" He pleaded for an answer, his eyes swelling up with tears. His hands, still placed in mine. Only now have I got the chance to stare into Leo's eyes. They're beautiful. They're a gorgeous ocean blue colour, gradually getting lighter as near the pupil. But, the pupil wasn't there, it was faded, almost grey. His eyes are clouded cover and no doubt blind. Yet still, a beauty like no other shined through them. Memorizing.

Realizing that I never answered Leo's question, I stuttered out the words, "I-I don't know." I gave myself a slap in the face when I said those stupid words. I spoke the truth, but I was suppose to comfort Leo, not make him feel worst.

"I can't see. I can't see. I can't see." Leo began repeating those dreadful words over and over again; hugging his knees close to his chest and slightly rocking back and forth. Tears began forming in his breath taking blue eyes. He looked away from me as a sobbed escaped from his lips. His body began to shake.

"Leo..." I whispered his name softly and placed a steady hand on his shoulder. Still, he refused to look at me, "Leo." I repeated his name firmly this time. I gently placed my hand on his cheek, turning his head so he'd have to look at him, or rather I look at him, "We'll get through this, together."

It was like Leo could see, his eyes staring deep into mine. Searching my soul, begging for an answer. He's blind, but not emotionless. His eyes still shone brightly with pain, his sight might be block, but his expression isn't.

Leo is crying. His eyes full of tears and his cheeks damp. Words were caught in my throat, choking me. Leo needed comfort, and I needed to give it to him. So placing both hands around his neck, and I pulled him into a hug.

I felt Leo tense beneath my grip, taking in a sharp breath. His sobs stopped for a moment. Only a few seconds passed before Leo hugged me back and buried his head in my shoulder. He clenched his fist, scrunching up my shirt between his fingers as his sobs continued.

This is the first time I've seen Leo cry, and probably one of the only times I will. I can already tell that Leo keeps most of his emotions to himself, crying only when necessary or alone. To him, crying is probably a form of weakness, though I can't be sure.

Leo gasped for breath as his sides heaved. I could feel my damp shirt for his tears had soaked into it. I don't mind though, I'd rather Leo let it all out then hold it in.

"Shh Leo, it's alright." I spoke my words of comfort and stroked his shell. It felt rough beneath my fingertips as I cascaded my hand. Then there was Leo's skin. I expected it to be rough too, like his shell. I expected it to be scaly, maybe even slimy. It wasn't. It was soft, with little bums here and there. It wasn't the first time I felt Leo's skin, it is however, the first time I payed attention.

Leo began to calm down, taking deep breaths. This was my opportunity to pull away. I have to be honest. I didn't want too, something inside me longed to hand onto him. Just to hold Leo for a moment longer. But I had to get his mind off of his lost of sight, so I placed my hands firmly on his shoulders and back away from the hug.

Fresh tears still lingered in his eyes; I passed a thumb over each cheek and wiped away his tears. He rubbed his cheek on my hand as if saying a silent thank you. And still, he looked directly at me. His gaze is unfocused, it's like he's looking right through me. I feel as if I'm a ghost.

"What can I do to help?" I wonder, my tone soft and caring. A hint of desperation could be detected, I wanted to help Leo. I found myself wanting to help Leo more then anything.

"Tell me." Leo began, looking down for a moment then rested his blinded gaze back on me, "Tell me what you look like."

"W-what I look like?" I question. I half expected Leo to shy away from the question. Pretending or denying that he ever asked it. But he didn't. Instead, Leo replied with the utmost of confidence.

"Yes, please."

"Umm...o-okay." I paused to think, then continued, "Well, I'm about 5'4 with brown hair. It's um, it's wavy and goes a little pass my shoulders. My skin is kinda pale and I have blue eyes-"

"What kind of blue?" Leo interrupted me, but had a kind tone his voice.

"Umm...crystal blue, I guess..." I inform him, hoping my answer is good enough. He gave me a warm smile, and thus I continued, "I have freckles on my cheeks and...Oh! I wear glasses."

At that note, Leo freezes. Something is on his mind.

"What colour glasses?" He wonders, I could almost see the wheels turning in his head.

"Umm." I hesitate and pull off my glasses to take a look, "Blue." And with that, I slip them back on.

"It's you." Leo whispers in awe, his voice so low that I barely made out what he said.

"What?"

Leo tense, his cheeks flushed with read, "I-I mean, I said...my mask!"

"Huh?" I question, more confused then ever.

"My mask...do you have it?" Leo asked, his voice steady.

"That depends, is it blue?" I answer his question with one of my own. I vaguely remember taking a blue mask off of Leo's face, cleaning it in my sink.

Leo nods his head, then I respond, "Hold on, I'll be right back." I get up off the couch and head to my kitchen. The mask is exactly were I left it, hanging over the tap. I grab the swath of blue fabric and walk back into the living room, taking seat on my couch, "Here."

I hand the mask to Leo and he passes a thumb over it. He grips the two ends and tries to tie it around his eyes. After a few failed attempts and grunts of frustration, I offer my assistants.

"Do you need help?"

Leo sighs, "Yes please."

I giggle and travel to the back of Leo. He hands me the mask and I aline the eyes holes with his. I carefully tie a knot, taking my time. When I finish, I run my fingers through the soft fabric, lost in my own thoughts. I find a heavy lump in my throat as I feel the body heat radiating off of Leo. I gulp it down, before I start to blush.

Just then, Leo cleared his throat and snapped me back into reality. I got up and took my rightful place on the couch. Crossing my legs and placing my hands on my lap.

"Thanks." Leo smiled sadly after he spoke.

"Hey Leo?" I hesitated, gathering up the courage to ask my question, "Can you do something for me now?"

"Sure, anything." He replies and I find myself less tense.

"Since you'll probably be staying with me for a while, I want to get to know you. Tell me your back story."

Leo falls silent as worry sinks in to his ocean blue eyes. I bit my lower lip nervously, scared that I might have just crossed some line.

"That seems fair." He finally answers after a moment of silence, "Where should I start?"

"Anywhere." I try to give him motivation, "Oh! How about-"

"Leonardo." Leo interrupts me, coming up with an idea of his own, "My real name is Hamato Leonardo."

"Hamato Leonardo." My voice his barely above a whisper as I echo Leo's words.

"Yes." He nods his head, "I was born in New York but my father...he was Japanese, I was raised with a Japanese culture."

Leo pauses for a moment and I reflect on what he just said. After a week of knowing him, there's still so much he's hiding.

"Was?" I question after a moment of hesitation.

Leo tenses slightly and looks at the ground, "Yeah...my father passed away."

"Oh, I'm so sorry Leo." I fiddle with my fingers, wondering if I should ask my question, "Is that why you came to Paris? To get your mind off your father?"

Leo looks my way again and smiles. For a brief moment, I'm lost in his eyes, his smile, his everything. That moment is quickly over as I wonder, what am I thinking?

"N-no. I actually came to...to get over a-a girl." Leo finishes his sentence and a faint blush tints his cheeks. I grin a him, though something inside me breaks.

"Quite the ladies man are we?" I tease, ignoring the sudden pain.

"No, it's nothing like that." Leo shakes his head amusingly, chuckling softly.

"Doesn't love you back I'm guessing?" I frown halfheartedly.

"Yeah..." A flash of disappointment takes over Leo's eyes, he looks to the ground once more.

"Well, you came here to get over that girl, not think about her more." I try to lighten the mood, now I have to keep Leo's mind off of his loss of sight, and some girl, "So...Leo, are you all alone in New York?"

Leo tenses once more, looks like I didn't pick the best change of subject. But after a moment of hesitation passes, Leo answers, "Y-yeah. It's just me."

I sense a twinge of sadness in Leo's voice, and was that...guilt? Not wasting a moment, I decide to change the subject once again.

"How'd you get..." Stopped myself. The thought hadn't meant to come out, just stay as a mere thought that would forever linger in my mind. However the words just sorta, slipped out. I wish I could take them back, but it's too late for that now.

"Mutated?" Leo finished my sentence for me. I was almost scared to look into his blind eyes, be over taken by their beauty and to see hurt flash across them. So I avoided eye contact, even though he couldn't see.

"Um...yeah."

"Well, it's hard to explain but...have you've ever hear of the krang?" Leo asked, pure curiosity rang deep inside his tone.

"The...krang?"

"I take that as a no." Leo almost laughed as he spoke, "Have you've heard of the alien invasion in New York a few years ago?"

"Oh yeah!" I moved in my seat with excitement, brushing a piece of hair back in place. A few years back, all over the news was the New York invasion. A huge brain like thing was throwing this green goop and it changed people. Luckily New York had stopped the invasion before it could spread anywhere else. The world was almost conquered.

"Well, those are the krang." Leo continued, "They've been around for thousands of years. And they have this thing called mutagen. Well when I was young, I got dropped in the mutagen and got turned...into this." Leo gesture to himself. Pain flashed across his clouded eyes, shame took over his facial features. It's clear to me that Leo doesn't care to much for his appearance.

"Well," I began, standing up, "I think you're rather handsome." I kissed Leo on his forehead before striding off into the kitchen.

I let out a sigh and leaned against my kitchen wall, non visible from the living room. My heart fluttered in my chest, skipping a beat every now and then. I placed a hand on my forehead and raked my fingers through my hair. What am I doing? The thought screamed in my head. What I just did back there, that's something I would never do, ever. But for some reason, I did. Something about Leo makes me more...open...I guess. Relaxed? Maybe.

I pushed the thought away, I can think about that later. This is suppose to be Leo's day, so I'm gonna make it a good one.

"Hey Leo!" I called out, cringing slightly. It took quite a bit of nerves to speak again. I have to admit, I'm kinda scared Leo's opinion would change of me. Was it too soon to say that kind of thing, to do that? Maybe I'm just over thinking this...

"Yeah?" Leo's answered me, but his voice sounded close. I turned towards the doorway and to my surprise, Leo was standing there.

"How did you-" I didn't get to finish my sentence, Leo knew what I was going to say anyway.

"The game we played, when you described everything to me. I can picture everything now." Leo smiled, though there was something missing. It lacked joy. His smile seemed forced.

I furrowed my brow, out of pity, out of sadness, out of regret.

"Here, sit down. I don't want you putting too much pressure on your ankle." I insist and go to guide Leo over to my kitchen table. However, he shoos my gesture away and claims that he could do it himself. Surprisingly, Leo made it. He had to feel out for a chair, but he was able to make it across the kitchen. I guess that little game we played was more effective then I thought.

"So what did you want?" Leonardo asked kindly, setting his elbows on the table.

I stare at him for a moment, only silence could be heard. I stand there puzzled for a moment before I realize that I had called Leo to the kitchen.

"Oh yeah, right." I chuckle nervously, trying to control my blushing cheeks, "I wanted to know what kind of cake you want?"

"C-cake?" His sightless blue eyes stretching wide, though his gaze is blank and unfocused.

"Yeah, like a birthday cake." I look at him curiously. I constantly have to remind myself that Leo didn't grow up with all the 'normal' things. He probably didn't go to school, he never had French toast before, or waffles. So chances are, he didn't have birthday cake. It's weird, even though Leo's a six foot turtle, he seems so...human.

Leo gives his head a shake before speaking, "Oh y-yeah." His voice sounds different, and his eyes show pain. I can't imagine the thoughts running through his head. Was is something I said? The last thing I want to do is make Leo upset, I already made him blind, "Marble." Leo says suddenly, "Can I have a marble cake?"

"Sure!" I brighten up immediately, glad to be distracted from my thoughts. Marble cake isn't really one of my specialities, but I can definitely manage it. Especially for Leo.

"Thanks." Leo smiles at me, well...more at the wall, but it was directed to me.

"So, any particular reason why you chose marble?" I asked casually, all while getting out the stuff to bake with. Setting every ingredient I need on the table, getting all my bowls, utensils and electric mixer.

"Umm..." Leo hesitates, looking around aimlessly, "Just so that I could taste vanilla and chocolate cake at the same time." Leo shrinks back in his seat, blushing slightly.

I giggle and start preparing, reading off the recipe in my book. No matter what, I determined to make this the most delicious cake I've ever made.

"Describe it to me." Leo asked with a hopeful smile on his face. We are both sitting at my light wood kitchen table, the cake I made him sits in front of us. Normally, I wouldn't be having cake so late, but since it's Leo's...mutation day, I'm making an exception.

"Well," I begin to explain, "It was cook in an 9inch pan. I used a classic white butter cream frosting, and did a drop pattern around the edges in blue. Also, I wrote happy mutation day. I, unfortunately couldn't get Leo to fit on there. And on the inside..." I pause and cut the cake, "Is mostly white, but has chocolate swirls throughout the whole cake."

"Wow" Leo smiles, breathless, "It sounds amazing."

"Wanna a piece?" I offer, already cutting a slice. Leo nods his head eagerly and I set a piece of cake down on a plate. He feels around for his fork, and takes a moment or two to find the cake. Once he got a general sense of where it was, he could eat with ease.

"Taste even better." He says with a mouth full of cake.

I giggle and cut a small slice for myself. Sitting up straight and cross legged, I began to eat.

"Thanks Leo...oh, I've been meaning to ask you. Is it still okay that I call you Leo? Or do you prefer Leonardo?"

"Leo is fine." He smiles reassuringly, staring just past me, "I prefer Leo anyway."

I smile admirably at him, even though he can't see it. It's weird thinking about how Leo can't see all my small actions. He has to visualize them. He can't see when I smile, or when I wave goodbye. He can't see Toby wag his tail excitedly or droop his ears in sadness. Can he even tell? Can he sense when I'm close to him, when I smile or wave goodbye. Can he tell when Toby wags his tail or droops his ears?

With my head buzzing with thoughts, I don't realize my hand. Somewhere along the way, I had stopped eating my cake and now it's just milometers away from touching Leo's giant green hand. They connect and my breath hitches. Sucked in, and held there, trapped in my lungs. My hand lingers there, my fingers on his. Leo's eyes, slightly wide, shocked by my touch. They stare straight ahead, not bothering to look down. I stare at him, has it really just been a week since I've known Leo? It feels like a lifetime.

Mere moments pass, nothing is said. Silence remains heavy in the air as reality comes crashing down on my shoulders. I pull my head away quickly, Leo's warmth no longer beneath my fingertips. My heart cracks.

"It's getting late, we should get some sleep." I break the quietness awkwardly. My words like a hammer, smashing thick glass. Washing away the beautiful silence like waves of the oceans. Leaving nothing but salty air between us.

"Umm, yeah." Leo speaks hastily, still processing my words, "I'm beat." He stretches his arms in the air, getting rid of that crick in his neck. We stand up simultaneously and begin walking. Leo no longer needs my help to move around, his ankle nearly healed. Though I'm still close to his side, in case he needs me.

We part ways when we come to the hallway. We bid our goodnights and I head to my room. Once I shut the door behind me, I lean myself against the door. Letting my body go limp. I clench a fist over my heart, feeling it's uneven beat, rapidly pounding in my chest. My stomach is flipped. I try to focus on anything but my thoughts. Closing my eyes, I attempt to relax.

I concentrate on my erratic heartbeat. I count each beat, each second that passes. My mind screams at me to think, it wants to think, it's like I'm actually craving to think. It wants to think about Leo. But I won't let, I won't allow myself to think about Leo. I don't want to admit to myself that Leo gets my heart racing, that he makes me feel flushes as a red tint glows on my cheeks. I don't want to admit that I think about Leo, that he possess my thoughts. I don't want to admit that my life has changed since he's been in it, even if only for a week.

I sigh, sliding down to the floor. I rake a hand through my tangled hair, I didn't even think to brush it. I don't feel like it now, so I'm just gonna let it be. My hand stays in my knots of hair for a moment longer before dropping dead by my side. I look up, expecting to see Toby sitting on my bed, waiting for me to crawl in and kick him off. But he's not there. I know exactly where he is, he's with Leo. Asleep on the rug, watching over him.

I smile at the thought, leaning my head up against the door. I close my eyes once again, letting my shoulders slump down. I breath in, taking in my surroundings. The silence. I listen intensely at the sweet sound of nothing, just letting the feeling of exhaustion wash over me. Letting silence wrap it's arms around me, relaxing. Though something isn't right. Not all is quiet. Faintly in the distance, I can hear a sound. It's not the sound of Toby snoring, or the wind rattling outside. It sounds almost like...muffled crying, quiet sobs of despair.

Leo...His name take over my thoughts once more and worry sinks into my system. I immediately jump to my feet, swinging open my door. I creep down the dark hallway, aware of every shadow. I have to feel my way to the living room, for sight is not my strong point at this moment. Finally, I feel the edge of the wall and turn the corning, knowing it's the wide doorway to my living room.

I squint in the darkness, trying to make out Leo's figure. He's on the couch, I think he's sitting up. No...he's lying down, but he's hugging something. A pillow maybe?

"Leo?" I whisper his name and see his head dart in my direction. He sniffed once and wipes his eyes, trying to ride the evidence that he's crying.

"Y-yeah?" His voice cracks with sadness, and my heart breaks with pity. I make my way over to the couch, careful not to trip over my sleeping dog.

"Are you alright?" I ask, inching my way closer. Moonlight shines through the windows from the kitchen, cascading it's way into the living room. I can just barely make out Leo's face, etched with pain. He sits up, making room for me on the couch. I don't hesitate to take a seat right beside him, our arms brush together.

Leo tries to answer, but his voice fades into a whimper. More tears pool out of his stormy eyes. Like clouds covering a bright sunny blue sky. Rain, blocking the warmth of the sunlight basking down on your skin.

"What's wrong?" I ask as if the answer isn't already obvious. A huge pang of guilt stabs me, feeling it chest in my chest. My heart aches.

"I-" Leo starts, but gets interrupted by his own sob, "I'm scared."

I watch his lips as he speaks. I find myself longing to comfort him. I just want to lean forward, placing my lips to his. I want to feel the warmth of his skin on mine, I want to hold him, telling him that everything is going to be alright. Without a hint of doubt.

I lean forward, my lips are just inches away from touching his. What doesn't surprise me is that, Leo didn't pull away. He didn't flinch as I got nearer and nearer. Then, I freeze. I'm so close to him that I can feel his shaky hot breaths. My lips tingle, craving just a small kiss from Leo. But I get scared. It's too late to retract now, but I can't kiss him. Not now. So, I go in for a hug. I wrap my arms around Leo's neck and squeeze tight.

Leo doesn't react right away. I pray that he didn't notice me almost kissing him, I hope that he thinks I was always going to go for a hug, as if it was my plan all along. But was my pause too long? Did I make it obvious that I wanted to kiss him? Did I want to kiss him? What was my true intention.

Leo hugs back, crying into my shoulder. This time, I decide to not distract him from his thoughts. This time, I give him the chance to let it all out. Sometimes the best thing you can do is cry. And maybe that's what Leo needs. To embrace that he's blind, that he might never see again. And just cry.

"I'm so sorry Leo." I whisper quietly into his ear. I can't help but feel responsible for his blindness. If only I treated his wounds properly. If only I knew what to do. Should I have taken him to the hospital? Or did I make the right choice by treating him myself? Then again, what do I know about this stuff? If only I knew a little more, maybe Leo wouldn't have lost his sight.

Leo says nothing in return. This only makes my guilt grow. I wanted him to tell me that it wasn't my fault. I want to know that Leo doesn't blame me. That maybe this isn't my fault. Or at least ask what I'm apologizing for. But nothing comes from him, only soft sounds of crying. Silence. Just mere minutes ago, silence was my friend. I appreciated it. But now? Now it's my worst enemy. Silence, it screams at me. I never knew silence could be this loud.

I'm not sure how long Leo and I stay embraced for. How long I hold him, how long he has his arms wrapped around my waist. But I know it's for a while. I know Leo cried. I can still feel his chest heaving up and down. What I don't know is, that somewhere along the way, we decided to lay down. Now it's just him and me, laying on the couch together. Holding each other.

My couch is not built for two, so Leo and I are pressed pretty close together. I can hear is heart thumping through his plastron, I can feel the heat radiating off his skin, I can feel his slow, calming breaths. I can tell he's asleep. I don't know when he had falling asleep, but any past desire I once had has been fulfilled.

I found myself enjoying Leo's embrace. His strong arms wrapped around my tiny body. This is what I have been longing for, this is what I want. I close my eyes, smiling. I treasure the feeling of Leo's arms around me. I take in his scent, the way he sounds, feels. Everything about Leo, I've come to adore. But right now, I'm satisfied.

Leo had let it all out. We didn't talk, he just cried. And now, I find myself sleeping next to him. And something about this just feels right. I know inside me that this is how it's suppose to be, that this is how I'm suppose to feel. I'm suppose to be here, with Leo. He came into my life for a reason. And now I want nothing more then just to fall asleep listening to the beating of his heart. And that's exactly what I did.